National
Fear stalks India, says Kejriwal
New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Alleging that an atmosphere of fear had now gripped India, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday praised BJP leader Yashwant Sinha for speaking out against the government over economic issues.
“Nowadays there is an atmosphere of fear all around. Everyone is afraid. Even common people are living in fear,” Kejriwal said at an event here to mark the release of Congress leader Manish Tewari’s book, “Tidings of Troubled Times”.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said there was “an atmosphere of fear even within the BJP. Yashwant Sinha’s courage to speak the truth at such a time is really commendable.
“For this Sir, I congratulate you,” he said, looking at the former Finance Minister who has taken on both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Kejriwal said industries, particularly the small-scale sector as well as traders, had suffered heavily because of the policies pursued by the Modi government.
He said most of the 16,000 industries in Bawana area in Delhi — where the AAP last month won a by-election — were shut and thousands of workers had lost work.
Several industries had also closed down in Delhi’s Wazirpur industrial area, he said, rendering thousands more jobless.
“The maximum loss has been borne by small industries and small traders. Business has been completely destroyed.”
Kejriwal said everyone appeared to fear income tax raids. “Everywhere there is an atmosphere of fear. Lakhs of income tax notices have been sent out. Everywhere income tax and ED (Enforcement Directorate) officers have conducted raids.
“It seems everybody has been put under surveillance.” He said people were afraid to talk over the phone fearing they could be tapped.
“My phone is tapped definitely but everyone thinks that their phones are also tapped.”
Kejriwal said businessmen were now complaining that bribery rates has increased five times.
And now with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), businesses had taken more hits, he added. “I have been in the Income Tax department but I never saw such ‘raid raj’.”
Kejriwal also alleged that “poison” was being injected into the society to pit one section against the other including Dalits, Hindus and Muslims.
“Social media is full of hate messages… This was not seen earlier.”
Asserting that people in the country were essentially peaceful, he said the foundation of the Indian society was now being eroded.
–IANS
rak/mr/vd
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.